Hold'em table

As the button in a three-handed game, 8♠7♣ is playable as an open; a modest raise applies pressure while preserving positional advantage.

T5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting 150 to win 400 with 33 in the big blind against a button open, calling to set-mine with deep stacks is clearly profitable.

Small pair on an ace-high, two-heart board that hits the button's raising range hard; I'll check and play pot control, likely folding to aggression.

My hand has little showdown value and only backdoor straight potential. Checking preserves that equity without risking chips on a board where the caller can continue with many hands.

Small pocket pair on a very high, flush-heavy board has minimal showdown value and poor bluffing credibility against a button that checked back. Checking to realize whatever equity we have is the best option.

I have no meaningful draw or showdown value on this ace-high board, so I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into the preflop caller.

Low pocket pair with some showdown value against a capped check-back range that includes many unpaired hands. Betting would mostly fold out hands we already beat, so check and see a cheap showdown.

With only eight-high, checking is unlikely to win at showdown. A modest river bluff can represent a completed heart flush after the checks and may fold missed draws or weak holdings.

Getting about 3.2:1 against a small river bet from a range that checked back twice, so it only needs roughly 24% bluffs to break even. The button's range should hold enough missed hands for a bluff-catch with 33 to be reasonable.

J-T offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. A 2.5-big-blind raise takes advantage of position without overcommitting.

96o in the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act, is a clear fold. Calling out of position with a weak offsuit hand isn't profitable.

K5 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind against a button raise at these pot odds. Calling keeps the pot manageable with a hand that plays poorly as a 3-bet bluff.

With only king-high and no made hand, checking is the prudent option out of position. I can reassess if an opponent bets or improve on later streets.

Trips are strong enough to value-bet against queens and draws. A small bet keeps weaker hands in while charging them to continue.

K-high has no made hand and only weak runner-runner improvement possibilities against a flop bet. The price does not justify continuing with this little equity.

On the button in a 3-handed game, 65o is a reasonable steal: it has playability, and a 2.5x open pressures the blinds.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to defend the small blind against a button open, but calling keeps the pot manageable with the big blind still to act.

The call is small relative to the pot, and I close the preflop action. I’ll proceed cautiously with this weak offsuit hand in a multiway pot.

Ace-high has some showdown value but no meaningful draw, and the preflop raiser can continue on this board. Check to avoid inflating the pot out of position.

With king-high and no immediate draw in a multiway pot, I prefer to check and see what the button does.

Middle pair on a dry-ish board checked to me in position; a small bet takes value from worse pairs and draws, denies equity to overcards, and folds them out.

A-high has little equity on this coordinated flop, with no backdoor flush draw and only weak runner-runner straight potential. The small bet offers a price, but the big blind is still behind and can continue or raise.

King-high with no diamond and only remote straight possibilities is too weak to continue against a bet made into two players.

Q8 suited is a reasonable button opening hand three-handed. Raise to 2.5 big blinds to take initiative while keeping the open size modest.

J9 suited plays well against a wide button opening range. A three-bet pressures that range and avoids inviting the big blind into a cheap multiway pot.

T2 offsuit facing an open and a 3-bet is a clear fold, and the original raiser is still left to act behind.

Q8 suited is too weak to continue against a sizable small-blind 3-bet, and calling would leave me with a dominated hand out of position postflop.

Q7 offsuit is a marginal but playable button open in a three-handed game. Raising gives me a chance to win the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

Q7o from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act, is a clear fold: out of position with a dominated hand.

The button’s 2.5bb open is wide in a three-handed game, and the pot odds make defending with 9-5 offsuit reasonable despite being out of position.

I have no pair or meaningful immediate draw on this king-high, two-club board, so I check rather than build the pot with a weak hand.

Q7 has no immediate draw on this connected flop. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me use position on the turn.

I have an open-ended straight draw and the flop checked through, so a modest turn bet adds fold equity while giving me a chance to improve on the river.

I have eight outs to a straight and position on the river. The small turn bet makes a call preferable to folding or raising.

With only a pair of fives on a river that completes straight draws, betting has little value and risks being called by better hands. Check and take the showdown.

Q-high has little showdown value. After the turn bet and river check, a 900-chip bluff can pressure weaker pairs while keeping the risk below a pot-sized bet.

The river bet is substantial, and my weak pair of fives loses to most plausible value hands after the turn call. I don’t expect enough bluffs to justify calling.

K5 suited on the button in a 3-handed game is a standard open, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to steal the blinds.

Q8 suited is strong enough to defend against a button open, and calling keeps weaker hands in while avoiding an out-of-position 3-bet with a marginal hand.

A3 suited has enough potential to defend the big blind at this price, and calling closes the preflop action.

I have only queen-high with limited backdoor possibilities, and this multiway flop favors checking rather than betting into two opponents.

With bottom pair in a three-way pot, I prefer to check and keep the pot small rather than lead into the preflop raiser.

Top pair with a weak kicker on a dry board, checked to me on the button in a 3-way pot; a small bet gets value from worse kings and pairs and denies equity to overcards and draws.

Q♦8♦ has no pair or meaningful draw on K♥9♠3♣, and a bet into two opponents leaves too little equity to continue.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker has enough equity to call this small flop bet against a button opener. Raising would turn a hand with showdown value into a bluff.

My low pair has showdown value, but betting is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. I’ll check and reassess if the button bets.

Top pair with a weak kicker on a paired, fairly dry board; a small bet gets value from underpairs, 3x and weaker hands and denies equity, while keeping the pot manageable against better Kx or trips.

The small turn bet gives a reasonable price to continue with a pair and an ace kicker. I can still beat some bluffs and will reassess on the river.

My two pair has some showdown value, but betting is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. I’ll check and assess a river bet if one comes.

K5 is a weak top pair here: better kings and trips will call or check-raise a bet, while most worse hands will fold. Checking back realizes showdown value cheaply.